The Biological Universe: Life in the Milky Way and Beyond

Evolutionary biologist Arthur (Life Through Time and Space) addresses this readable if unrevelatory study to the question of whether life exists beyond Earth. His answer is straightforward: “There are many planets in the universe with intelligent life, but they comprise only a tiny fraction of the ‘gazillions’ of planets that exist, and indeed only a small fraction of those planets that have life.” Arthur divides the work into four sections, one on life on Earth, and the others covering “the current state of knowledge about planetary systems, with a focus on habitability”; the ongoing search for life beyond Earth; and life beyond the Milky Way in “the universe as a whole.” Along the way, Arthur explains the work of James Clerk Maxwell, who laid the theoretical groundwork for the discovery of radio waves (a staple in the search for intelligent life), and how gravity influenced the development of life on Earth (which leads him to conclude that “large organisms, whichever planet they are found on, [will] possess skeletal structures”). While the science is made accessible, those familiar with the search for intelligent life likely won’t find much new. Still, those unfamiliar with hypotheses outlining the possibility of life beyond Earth will find some thought-provoking ideas here. (Dec.)